We were in the neighborhood on this mild morning, and happened upon some unexpected construction on the 1200 block of Ridge Avenue. Across the street from the excellent Doctor J mural, a two-story building at 1232 Ridge Ave. is growing up, with a two-story addition and a four-story new building next door. The old building wasn't terribly exciting, but it did have several architectural features that helped it fit in with other active and former warehouses in the area. The vacant lot next door looked like it was previously used for parking from time to time.
If you pass by today, it's a very different scene.
According to the permits, this project will eventually mean twenty-four residential units with other accessory uses. The permit also mentions a vacant first floor space, but we couldn't tell you what's planned for that space, perhaps one of those accessory uses? The property has been owned for quite some time by the Kuan-Yin Buddhist Association of Philadelphia, headquartered across the street. We'd have thought that this project would have been the work of a residential developer, so it's with some surprise that we share that it's being done by a religious organization. Kinda cool that they were able to integrate the old building into the project- we'll keep an eye on how well the addition ultimately blends with the previously existing structure.